


Welcome To The Falls

by Sylph_of_Space



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Themes, Alternate Universe - Reverse Falls, Angst, Dark Magic, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-10 06:51:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13496984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylph_of_Space/pseuds/Sylph_of_Space
Summary: Pacifica Northwest traveled to the sleepy town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, the summer after her sixteenth birthday to visit an uncle she had met once and a cousin she had never seen. She expected a summer of running around in the woods, bug bites, new friends, and just being a teenager. She did not expect a strange journal filled with secrets, an uncle that couldn't care less, twins that were out for blood, and a terrifying man pulling the strings behind it all.She was sure she would never forget this summer.





	1. Gravity Falls

Pacifica Southeast watched with bleary eyes as the trees and landscape whipped past her outside the bus window. She was tired from the long, seemingly never-ending bus ride to the small town of Gravity Falls. She was actually quite excited to go, she had never been before. She had met her Uncle Bud once before, but never met her cousin Gideon. He was around her age, a few months younger than she, so she would have a guaranteed friend all summer. _If you get along. Don't get too ahead of yourself, Pacifica._ She thought to herself.

The bus jolted to a stop, which yanked her out of her mind. Though she still felt tired, she beamed brightly, standing up and grabbing her bags. She hopped off the bus, which promptly pulled away, and for a moment she was alone. From the treeline, a person appeared. He wore a white and blue hat with a blue pinetree on it, snugly over his white, curly hair. His black shirt seemed like it would be a little warm in the stuffy, summer air. The blue vest he wore over it seemed too warm as well. His warm clothing made her think of the jacket she had packed away: pink, with black and blue accents. His hands were in his pockets, and he was smiling shyly at her. "Hey, Pacifica."

"Gideon?" She guessed with a grin. He walked towards her, nodding. She dropped a couple of her bags and hugged him tightly, catching him off guard. It took him a moment before he hugged her back. "Oh, I'm so happy to be here! And to meet you!" She exclaimed, bouncing a little on her toes. She pulled back, grinning massively. "Where's Uncle Bud?"

Gideon Pines made a face. "He's still at the Mystery Shack. He told me to come get you. It's not a bad walk, c'mon." He picked up a couple of the bags she had dropped and started walking back towards the treeline, going down a dirt path. She followed, throwing her blonde hair up into a ponytail as she went. Along the path were various signs, pointing people in the direction of the Mystery Shack. Each sign was different than the last, saying things like "Mystery Shack: This way!" and "100% Not A Scam!" The signs made Pacifica laugh, mostly. She caught up with Gideon and started chatting.

"So, what is there to do around Gravity Falls?" She asked, glancing at the forest around them before focusing on Gideon once again.

"Well, the local pool is open. There's a lake too, with a small island in the center." He paused, thinking. "We can always go to town, or explore the woods. If dad lets us." The last part was mumbled and she almost missed it.

"Why wouldn't Uncle Bud let us?" She questioned curiously.

"Well, he makes me work in the Shack. He'll probably do the same for you." He shrugged, making another disgruntled face. She frowned, not having considered that possibility.

"Well, we'll find a way to go and have fun!" She exclaimed loudly. It startled Gideon, who was not used to such a positive, happy person being around. She hardly noticed, already talking about the next thing on her mind: Other people their age that she could meet.

"Well, there's Robbie... He works at the Shack too, but he's older. I think he's nineteen. Wendy is his age, she comes around sometimes. I think she's dating Robbie?" Gideon scrunched up his face as he thought. "I don't... really pay much attention to their relationship." Pacifica nodded as she listened. "There's also... Mm, never mind."

"What?" She asked, her interest suddenly piqued. Gideon stayed quiet, refusing to explain whatever it was that he almost talked about.

"Look, we're here." He said suddenly, making her look forward. In front of her was a cabin-looking house, with a huge sign on the roof reading "Mystery Shack". The building itself seemed like it had seen better days. It was falling apart in many places, one of the letters on the sign was loose, and... _Was that a chicken on the roof?_ Outside, despite the place seemingly falling apart, there was a small crowd of tourists, being guided by a large man in a black button up that was, unfortunately, unbuttoned at the top. He also wore a fedora on his head, and black dress pants to complete his strange outfit. He was showing off odd, weird, obviously fake relics, and yet the tourists were eating it up. Pacifica raised a hand to wave and call out to the man, but Gideon pulled her arm down gently. "He's working. Don't bother, he'll just ignore you anyways. Come on." He lead her around the side, to a back door that opened to a kitchen area.

The kitchen area was not very neat, but it wasn't a pigsty either. Someone took care of it, and she got the feeling it wasn't Uncle Bud. Gideon continued to lead her through the kitchen into a living room area, which was decorated strangely. He didn't stop, so neither did she. They went up some stairs until they reached what looked like an attic room to her. She raised an eyebrow as he opened the door to show her the room.

Inside, one half of the room had a bed and sparsely decorated walls. The other also had a bed, but it was not decorated at all. "This is my room, and yours too." He rubbed the back of his neck, almost embarrassed. "There's... Not enough room for you to have your own room? But I understand if you don't want to share since we're older and... Yeah." He coughed, avoiding her gaze. She rolled her eyes, dumping a couple of her bags onto the empty, undecorated bed.

"This is perfect. I don't mind, really. Just know that I can't have this be undecorated all summer." She motioned to the entire room, not just her half. He smiled a little, setting the rest of her things down by her claimed bed.

"Go for it. It's your room too." He shrugged. "C'mon, let's go down to the shop. Maybe dad's done." He motioned for her to follow, which she did. They went back through the living room and kitchen until they reached a door that read "Employee's Only". Gideon walked through without a second's thought, holding the door for her. She glanced around, realizing they were in some sort of gift shop for the Mystery Shack and it's many attractions. There was a boy behind the counter, dressed in green plaid with a clean-shaven face and black hair that was swept back. He was attractive, in a clean-cut, good boy sort of way. _That must be Robbie._ She realized. Bud Pines walked in the door just then, without a tour group.

"Gideon! Did you put up those signs?" His booming voice startled her a little. He was staring at Gideon with a harsh expression. He huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. _It's like he doesn't even know I'm here..._

"Yeah, dad, and I got Pacificia from the bus stop." Gideon motioned to her. She perked up and smiled at him, waving a little.

"Hiya, Uncle Bud." She said cheerfully. He put on a smile, but she had a suspicion it was fake.

"Aw, hello darling. I haven't seen you since you were little." He rubbed the top of her head, messing up her ponytail. "Welcome to Gravity Falls. Hey, how about you pick something from the Shack to keep? As a welcome gift." He nodded, then walked through the door they had just come from.

"That was... Not what I expected." She commented. Gideon only nodded.

"Pick something good, Pacifica! He doesn't just let this happen. Only free thing I ever got was this hat." He tapped the brim of it knowingly. She nodded, wandering the aisles and wondering what she should get. She found a grappling hook, as odd as that might be, and decided to take that as her item. She turned and aimed it at Gideon with a laugh.

"Watch yourself, Pines." She laughed again as he held up his hands in surrender.

"Let's get something to eat, then you can rest or something. I'm sure that bus ride tired you out." He suggested. She agreed wholeheartedly and skipped along with him to the kitchen. Bud didn't reappear the rest of the night, which she thought was odd, but Gideon seemed used to it. After a small dinner, she went up to their shared room to sleep early. As excited as she was, she was wiped. She decided it would be best to sleep. _This summer is gonna be great._ She thought as she fell asleep.


	2. Pixies

A week passed since Pacifica showed up in Gravity Falls. After her first night, Bud put her to work in the shack. She was to help out as best she could, whatever they asked her to do. It was mostly cleaning, and it wasn’t just cleaning the shop and tourist attraction. It was often cleaning the entire shack. Gideon also had this chore. Pacifica called it a job, but Gideon was right: it was more of a chore than a job. At least if it was a job, she would be paid. This felt more like earning her place to stay in his house. Speaking of Bud, she wondered where he was. She hadn’t seen much of him since the night before. He had been drinking yesterday, which, according to Gideon, was not unusual. It also wasn’t unusual for him to not care what Gideon was doing, and that apparently extended to her as well. She was quickly learning Gideon more or less took care of himself. He even took online classes as much as possible during the school year. 

Today, business was excruciatingly slow. Robbie sent Gideon and Pacifica away, telling them they should enjoy their summer and not be stuck indoors all the time. Gideon was lounging on his bed, scribbling in a notebook. Pacifica was hanging up posters on the wall, putting the final touches on the room with the things she had brought with her. She was far from done, however. Fairy lights were strung across the wall, colorful posters covering up the plain wall beneath it. Her bedspread was very pink and yellow, with a few stuffed animals thrown on it. Her tongue stuck out as she reached to put the last poster up, but huffed as she had run out of tape. “Gideon? Do you have tape?”

“On my desk.” He hardly looked up at her as he spoke. She rolled her eyes, grumbling about having a lazy cousin as she marched over to his desk.

“Dude. This desk is a mess.” It was, indeed, a mess. Papers were strewn about and notebooks were stacked precariously. She didn’t even see the tape at first. It was buried under papers. She shifted things aside, accidentally knocking over a stack of notebooks. She winced, but once again Gideon hardly looked up. He must have been very invested in whatever he was writing. She knelt to pick up the books, putting them back in a better stack that was less likely to fall. _Huh. This is odd._ The last book had a red cover, with a strange, six-fingered gold hand on the cover, with a large three on it. She stood up, flicking through it. 

Inside, the book had been used as a journal for science. It documented creatures, the type they were, weaknesses, what useful properties they had, etc. The strange thing about it was none of these creatures could possibly be real. “Pixies: Devious little creatures, found in our very own Gravity Falls woods, north of the lake. Follow the bright blue mushrooms.” She read outloud. Gideon’s head snapped up with wide eyes. When he saw what she was holding, he climbed out of bed quickly, nearly falling over as he tried to reach her. “What is this?”

He took it from her, closing it. “N-Nothing. Just… Some book I found. It’s ridiculous, none of it is real or anything. Just… Leave it alone, okay?” He insisted. Pacifica was not one to be deterred, however. 

“C’mon, Gids! Even if it’s not real, what’s the harm in going exploring? Huh?” She took it back from him with a wide grin. He shook his head, obviously bothered by the journal. 

“I-It’s dangerous.” He protested.

“You just said it’s not real.” She pointed out. “And, it’s midday. It’s not like we’re going at night. What are you so afraid of? Robbie can cover for us with Uncle Bud.” She bounced excitedly, watching her cousin. He sighed deeply, and she squealed, hugging him. “Okay! We won’t stay out too long. Let’s go!” She rushed to her side of the room, grabbing a backpack. She tossed in the journal, her grapple gun, a package of colorful band-aids, and stickers. All of these were essential items for an adventure with Pacifica. Especially the stickers. She shrugged her pink-and-blue jacket on over her simple t-shirt and put her backpack on over it. She grabbed Gideon’s hand and all but ran down the stairs and out the front door. 

Once they were outside, Gideon took the lead towards the lake, since Pacifica had yet to go to the lake and still didn’t know her way around Gravity Falls. He seemed disgruntled, an unwilling participant in her schemes, but she kept him lively with constant chatter. “Where did you find it?”

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I had a dream… I was walking through the woods, but I knew where I was going, and at the end I came to a clearing that overlooked a valley… Inside a fake tree was a switch and that opened a hole in the ground.” He glanced at her. “When I woke up, I felt like I had to go there. So I did. And, there it was. I know it sounds weird, but that’s the truth.” 

“It is weird. But I believe you.” She reassured him. He seemed to relax a little at that. “Have you tried to find out if any of this is real?” 

He shrugged again. “Not really. I don’t have time, and dad… mm. He wouldn’t like me slacking off for something like that.” He left it at that. She could tell talking about Bud Pines always made him uncomfortable. 

After a while of walking and talking, they reached the lake. Pacifica took in the sights with wide, happy eyes. There were people everywhere, fishing and swimming and rowing their boats and sunbathing. It was very lively. She couldn’t wait until they came to the lake for a lake day. “The journal said north of the lake. Follow the bright blue mushrooms.” Pacifica nodded, starting to walk to the side of the lake.

“Pacifica! North is that way.” Gideon pointed the opposite way she had been walking. She turned and continued her determined march the right direction this time. 

“I knew that.” She said as she passed her cousin. He shook his head, a tiny, fond smile on his face as he followed her. They wandered around the treeline, looking for any sign of the bright blue mushrooms mentioned in the journal. All they could find so far were regular white ones. Pacifica was not one to give up, but she had started to feel a little defeated. What if the journal really was just fake? What if her cousin had been right? What if this was all for nothing? What if-

She gasped loudly as cold, cold water splashed her. Some kid with a water gun aimed her direction, giggled when she glared at him, and ran off. She shook herself to get rid of the water, hating that she was practically soaked on her front now. At least it was a sunny day. 

“Pacifica… Look.” Gideon motioned behind her. She turned and gasped. Several of the white mushrooms had been caught in the splash of water, but only a couple had turned a bright, beautiful blue. “The blue mushrooms.” 

“They only turned blue because they were splashed with water!” She said excitedly. “We need a water gun! Or several water bottles.” She looked around and spotted another kid with a water gun. She ran over and talked with them for a few minutes, bargaining her way into borrowing it with a promise to return it if they came by the Mystery Shack. She waltzed back to Gideon with a grin and a full water gun. She sprayed several mushrooms with the water. Once again, a few turned bright blue. The loose trail seemed to go deeper into the forest. She glanced at Gideon and, without a second thought, ran into the woods. 

As they went, she periodically sprayed mushrooms they found with water, to make sure they were still on the right path. This continued for some time, Pacifica becoming increasingly excited as they went, while Gideon seemed to become increasingly nervous. Finally, they reached a clearing that seemed to have the magical mushrooms ringing it within the treeline. These didn’t need water to be blue, these stayed blue constantly. There were crystals in the clearing, seemingly growing out of the ground. There were also beautiful flowers of many colors, and within those flowers were small creatures. They had wings that looked like glass. Six arms, four eyes, sharp teeth, antenne type things on their head. “Whoa.” She whispered, crouching down. Gideon followed her lead. 

The pixies seemed harmless enough. They stayed in their little clearing, fluttering about. Pacifica took her backpack off and took out the journal, opening it again to the pixie page. “Devious creatures. A bite is not deadly from one, but from many can be. Some types are venomous. Can be used for poisonous potions. Some cause sickness.” She read allowed quietly. She shut the book with a sigh. It was more of a science journal than simply recording them. “I’m going to get closer.” 

“Pacifics!” Gideon hissed, grabbing her sleeve. “No! You can’t!” She rolled her eyes, gently batting his arm away as she stood up. 

“Yes, I can. I’ll be fine.” She said dismissively, taking a few cautious steps towards the pixies. Some noticed her, slowing down in their flying, but none approached her or caused her harm. 

“Get out of here.” She heard Gideon snap. She glanced over her shoulder, surprised to find another person here. Gideon was standing now, between her and the new person. Gideon was on the short side, meaning he wasn’t exactly hiding anything from either of them. This new person, a man, had brown hair, swept to the side and up. His piercing blue eyes rolled sky high at Gideon before not-so-gently shoving him aside. He paused when he saw her, however. It gave her a moment to better see him. He was a little taller than her, and seemed to be around her age. He was dressed strangely for the summer, in black dress-type pants and a blue button-up. The sleeves had been rolled up, as it was quite warm today. He had a beautiful gem that she couldn't decide if it was blue or green on a bolo tie. There was a mark on his forehead, shaped like the Little Dipper constellation. His eyes flickered down to the journal in her hand and she instinctually hid it further behind her back. 

His lips twisted into a smirk for half a second before relaxing into a smile, but she felt like he wasn’t happy to see her at all. “Well, hello there. I’ve never seen Gideon with… anyone, much less a… pretty girl like you.” He seemed to choose his words carefully. 

“Gideon is my cousin. I’m visiting him for the summer.” She explained. She thought she saw Gideon facepalm from behind the stranger. “My name’s Pacifica.” She added.

“Mason Gleeful, at your service.” He bowed slightly, making her cheeks turn pink. _He sure is a gentleman._ “I see you’ve discovered one of Gravity Falls’ secrets. Funny little things, aren’t they? Pixies.” His gaze went to the creatures fluttering about behind them. “Don’t let me disturb you. I’m simply collecting one to study it.” He paused, and almost as an afterthought, added, “You’re going to want to get out of here. They don’t mind people, but they do mind if you disturb them.” He walked past her casually, opening a jar that he seemingly pulled out of nowhere.

“Yeah, right. There wasn’t anything about that in the-” Pacifica started to say, until Gideon grabbed her arm with a warning glance. 

“Let’s just go.” He muttered, glaring at Mason’s back. She frowned, not wanting their adventure to end so soon. Her eyes widened when he closed the jar around a pixie and every other pixie’s attention snapped to him. 

“You know what? We can go now.” She turned quickly, grabbing Gideon’s hand and taking off running through the trees. They weaved between the various foliage, not stopping until they reached the lake again. Pacifica promptly collapsed on the ground, giggles bubbling up from her. Gideon stared at her like she had lost her mind. “That was fun, and I think we’ve made a friend.” 

“Mason Gleeful is no friend.” He huffed, sitting next to her. 

“Who is he, then?” She asked curiously, looking up at him. 

“Bad news, Pacifica.” He said shortly, refusing to say more. 

“Well…. I sort of forgot my backpack back there. You’re gonna have to tell me who he is so we can track him down and ask if he has it.” She eyed the treeline. “I don’t think we should go back there right now.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He deadpanned. “Fine. Fine. Tomorrow. I don’t want to deal with him and his family right now.” He crossed his arms with a grumble. 

“Tomorrow it is.” She sat up and flashed him a grin, making him roll his eyes.


	3. Mission: Retrieve Backpack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone can guess the secret, very short cameo in this chapter, I will give you a virtual cookie.

Pixies lay scattered on the ground in the clearing in the woods, not dead but immobilised. The remnants of blue magic tinged the air, making it feel charged with electricity. Mason lowered his hand from the gem on his bolo tie with a slow sigh. He had what he came for, a pixie in a jar. He held it up, examining the creature trapped within the glass walls. It was scowling at him. It would likely bite him when it was released back home, or his sister if he was lucky. The thought made him smirk as he turned, tucking the jar under his arm. 

The bright color of purple caught his eye, standing out in the brown and green of the forest. A backpack. He walked over and nudged it with his foot. It opened slightly more, showing him stickers, basic first aid, a grappling hook… No journal, and nothing of real interest. However… it did belong to that girl. He picked it up, an idea forming as he did so. He was sure she would come for her backpack. Gideon knew where to find him.

* * *

Pacifica woke the next morning to the sound of shouting. Her sleep-filled brain didn’t quite register what was happening as she climbed out of bed, slipping on fuzzy slippers that were by her bed for this very purpose. She shuffled tiredly towards the door, stifling a yawn as she cracked open the door, peeking her head out into the hallway. 

“You’re supposed to _ask_ before you just leave during the working day. I don’t give a shit if you felt like showing your cousin around, Gideon!” Bud Pines yelled. There was a beat of silence before anyone responded. 

“Sorry, dad.” Gideon sounded defeated. 

“You’re lucky as hell Robbie could handle the crowd yesterday.” She heard her uncle Bud sigh heavily. “I don’t care what you do today, just get out of my sight.” She flinched as she heard a door slam. A moment later, Gideon was walking up the stairs, head hanging. His white hair was messy, like he hadn’t had a chance to tame it before his father picked a fight with him. He looked up and saw her watching him with wide eyes.

“How much of that… did you hear?” He asked quietly. 

“Just the last bit. ‘M sorry if I got you in trouble, Gid.” She stood to the side as he walked into their shared room. 

“He’s… Always like that. There wasn’t even a crowd yesterday, Robbie said so.” He sounded angry. “He just… Doesn’t listen.” It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he finally just dropped it. “You still wanna go get your backpack?” He asked with a smile. She frowned, wanting to press him more on the subject of what happened, but decided it was best if she didn’t.

“Sure. You promised to tell me about him first.” She reminded him lightly. 

He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.” He sat down on his bed and she sat on hers, kicking her feet lightly. “Mason Gleeful is part of the Gleeful family. They own that big manor up on the hill. They also have a tourist attraction, which is why dad doesn’t like them or like me talking to them. Their thing is called the Tent of Telepathy.” He made a face. “They do… magic? That’s their thing. I’m pretty sure it’s fake but…” He glanced at the journal that was on his desk again, leaving his sentence at that. “They’re rich, and rude, and always target the Mystery Shack.” He paused, thinking. “He’s got a sister too.” He shuddered thinking about her.

“What about the rest of his family?” Pacifica questioned curiously. 

“I don’t know too much about them. They seem to… Avoid public eye?” He rubbed the back of his neck, like he was hiding something. “Mason and Mabel don’t have parents though. That much I do know.” 

Pacifica blinked, not expecting that. “Oh.” She stood up and stretched. “Well, let’s go! I think getting out of this house will do you some good.” She smiled brightly at him. He offered a weak one back. She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug, then bounced back. “I'm gonna change, be back in a minute!” She gathered up clothes for the day and hurried off to the bathroom. 

Gideon shook his head affectionately at his cheerful cousin. He picked up his hat from where it had landed on the floor and pulled it on snugly over his white hair, then picking up the journal with a frown. Should they bring this along?

Pacifica returned just then. “Ah! We should probably bring that. See if your suspicion on their magic is right.” Gideon nodded, tucking it away inside his usual vest. Pacifica had her normal jacket on, with a different graphic tee on underneath. She pushed past him to get to the nightstand and dug through a drawer. “Most of my best stickers are in my bag that Mason has currently but… ah ha!” She peeled off a sticker of a blue heart and turned, sticking it directly on Gideon's cheek. “Smile, Gid.” 

He couldn't help but smile at that. She was far too sweet to him. “They have a show later this afternoon, but maybe if we show up early we can talk to him and get out of there.” 

“Alright, let’s go!” She rushed out of the room and down the stairs, Gideon following her. It was still fairly early, she realized once they got outside. She was too excited and wanted to make Gideon feel better as well. Maybe they could get her backpack before a show started, and talk to Mason again. “When does their Tent of Telepathy thing open?”

He shrugged. “They have different showtimes each day. It’s early, their earliest show is probably around noon? If we’re lucky, they’ll be there early and we can get your backpack and leave.” He muttered, hands in his pockets as they trekked down the road. 

“If we’re there for a show, can we stay? Pleeeeease?” Pacifica asked, bouncing on her toes as they walked, eyes alight. 

“Maybe.” He sighed. He really didn’t want to spend any extra time around those insane twins and their equally insane family, but he found it difficult to say no to her. The conversation died off then, their walk becoming quiet besides the occasional humming from Pacifica. Eventually, they reached town. It was slowly starting to wake up, but it was still fairly quiet and sleepy. Pacifica spotted a man with brownish hair starting to grey on the edges putting up a flyer. When he walked away, she saw it was a sign for the Tent of Telepathy. She walked up to it to see what it said. 

“‘Come see the amazing magical feats at the Tent of Telepathy. Have your mind read, see objects float, and a man disappear. Today’s shows: Noon, three, and five.’” She read aloud. There was a colorful design of a blue tent with a funny star shape on the front. Each section of the star had a different color and it looked like it had been sewn on as a last minute thought, each part of the star an added patch. On the bottom, it gave the location of the Tent: an empty lot just outside of the main town, in the same direction as the Gleeful Manor. Gideon nodded his head in the direction they needed to walk. 

“It’s this way. C’mon.” He started walking before she did. Her attention had been drawn to a final, peculiar part of the flyer: a simple, blue triangle in each corner, with one eye in the center. She thought it was a strange detail to add to a flyer that would be taken down the next day, and yet there it was. She shook her head and started to follow Gideon once again. 

“Awesome.” She linked her arm with him as they walked. Finally, she saw the blue tent in the distance. As they got closer, they saw various people setting things up for the day. It hadn’t occurred to her that there were legitimate workers setting things up, making sure it all runs smoothly. As they neared the entrance to the tent, they were stopped.

“Sorry, not quite open yet. Come back in a little while.” A man told them with a frown. Before Pacifica could speak up and explain herself, the tent entrance opened and Mason stepped out. He looked just like he had when she met him yesterday, but instead of a blue shirt it was black, with a blue dress vest over it. He was also sporting a cape, black on the outside and a deep navy blue on the inside. _Must be part of his show outfit._

“Pacifica. I thought I might see you today.” He smiled slightly. Gideon made a discontented noise, looking off to the side. “You left your backpack in the forest.” He tilted his head, crossing his arms like she was amusing to watch. 

“Ah, yes, I did. Do you… Have it by chance?” She asked, slipping her hands in the pockets of her jacket before she started fidgeting nervously. 

“I do. Why don’t you come in? Both of you.” He offered, holding the flap of the tent open. Pacifica walked in first, Gideon close behind her. She glanced around the tent in curiosity. Rows of benches sat on the ground, facing a stage. Lights were set up and being tested, as were microphones and a switchboard off to the side, hidden in shadows and a curtain that was currently pulled up. A simple grand piano was also to the side of the stage. She wondered if it was played during their shows. Mason walked ahead of them, his steps sure and smooth. He went around the stage, motioning only once for them to continue to follow him. Pacifica, ever curious, did just that. Gideon, having no choice, followed her, but he didn’t like being there at all. 

Behind the stage was various props scattered around and another flap hanging down. They walked through that into a dressing room type area. The tent, she realized, was much larger on the inside than it seemed. Two vanities were set up, one with much more makeup supplies on it than the other, and a table sat in the center of the area, with three chairs. A couch was off to the side as well. On the table was her backpack. Mason picked it up before she could get to it. “It’s lucky I found this. You could have lost something valuable, like… Your grappling hook.” He smirked as she took it back from him. She checked inside it, to make sure it was all still there. 

“Thanks.” She slipped the backpack on, flipping her ponytail out of the way as she did so. “So, what did you do with that pixie? The one you caught?” She asked innocently, ignoring Gideon’s look. Mason eyed her carefully, waiting a beat too long to answer her. 

“Why, I told you, Miss Southeast. I simply wanted to study it. I have a small lab of sorts in my home. My sister doesn’t share the same affinity for science as I do, but has a strong sense of curiosity. My great uncle is also a man of science, as is… A tenant in my home. We all held a great interest in the little thing.” Something about the way he said the last sentence made her shift uncomfortably, but she smiled anyways.

“Didja let it go after?” She asked hopefully. Something in his eyes flashed for a moment. 

“Not yet.” He said simply. “Now, I would love to take more time to get to know you, but I have a show to get ready for. I would be honored if you came to a show tonight.” He turned so he was speaking more directly to Pacifica, rather than the both of them. He had a charming smile on. 

“Oh, sure! It seems really interesting. We’ll be back at noon!” She promised. 

“Oh, no. That show is the same old, same old. We’re hosting a very special show at a late time. That’s the one you really should attend. Ten PM. I’ll be sure to save a seat for you in the front.” He paused, his eyes flickering to Gideon as if he had only just remembered he was here as well. “And a seat for you, of course.” 

“We’ll be there.” Pacifica said before Gideon could protest. He rolled his eyes, taking her arm.

“We really should get back.” He muttered. “See ya, Gleeful.” 

“Bye Mason! And thanks!” She waved cheerfully as Gideon started to drag her away, back through the tent and outside once more.

* * *

Mason let the charming smile fall from his lips a he let out a rough sigh. He was certain they would be trouble. The show later in the evening was indeed a special show to kick off summer, but not one widely advertised. Most people attending would be invited by the Gleeful’s themselves, or hold a position of power in the town. They liked to hold a sense of power over them, remind them who’s really in charge. Playing with their minds and fears really did the trick. He frowned. His great uncle may not like that he invited the Pines kid too, but he would handle him. 

“Hey, Dipwad. Whatcha thinkin’ about? If you keep frowning like that, you’re gonna put a wrinkle in that birthmark you’re so famous for.” A snide voice interrupted his thoughts. He rolled his eyes. 

“Nothing, Mabel. I’m simply reviewing the plans in place for the late night show.” He glanced at his sister. They were twins, and while they were fraternal, it was still obvious. Her long brown hair, never out of place, framed her face with startling blue eyes much like his own. She had a pendant like his bolo tie, but it was on a headband she was rarely seen without. She had yet to put on her show outfit, but she was still dressed to kill in tight leggings, a deep blue top, and of course her high heels. “How’s your hand?” He didn’t really care, but he was curious how a pixie bite affected a human.

She sniffed, glancing at her left hand. “I’ll have to wear gloves for all our shows, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. Thanks again, brother dearest.” She said sarcastically. 

He smirked. “You’re welcome, my dear sister.”


	4. Showtime

Pacifica slipped the old Journal into her purple backpack, zipping it up nice and tight. After debating with Gideon for at least half an hour, she convinced him to come with her to the evening show at the Tent of Telepathy with a couple conditions: They leave right after the show, and he carried the bag with the Journal inside. He wanted to be able to check the journal out during the show, something about proving they were frauds, and she already lost her backpack once. He also had a bad feeling about letting them get their hands on the Journal. “Here.” She handed him the bag and he slipped it on. She tugged her jacket closer around herself. Since it was evening, it was a little chilly. She put on jeans instead of her normal shorts before they headed out to the Tent. 

“I’ve always like Gravity Falls at night.” Gideon told her as they walked. “It’s… I dunno, peaceful. Quiet.” He trailed off, looking up. She let her gaze travel up too and smiled. The stars were quite visible at the Mystery Shack. It was very pretty, and peaceful, just like Gideon said. “Sometimes, if I could get out without bothering dad, I’ll go on walks at night in the forest. I don’t go far, but it’s a breath of fresh air with quiet. I’m alone with my thoughts.” His eyes darted towards her and he smiled sheepishly. “A-anyways. Let’s hurry so we’re not late.” 

They picked up their pace through town. Pacifica noticed the flyers that had been up earlier in the day had already been taken down. They reached the Tent again. Now, it was more lively. There were fairy lights strewn across the top of the tent outside, twinkling in the darkness. Two small flood lights illuminated the pathway from the street to the tent’s entrance. A man stood by the entrance, a flashlight on his belt, holding the flap open for those entering. She recognized him as the same man who put the flyer up earlier in the day, noticing the brown hair starting to grey. He wore a suit made of dark material, although if it was navy or black she couldn’t tell in the dimness of the night. The front of his suit seemed to have stars on it like the galaxy, unless she was mistaken. He wore round glasses that he smoothly pushed back up his nose as his gaze found her and Gideon. She waved a little. “Hiya. Mason invited us to come, my name’s-” She started to say, but he held up a hand.

“Miss Pacifica Southeast, and Mister Gideon Pines.” His voice had a slight southern accent to it. “Mason told me to expect you two. He has reserved seats towards the front. If you’ll follow me.” He motioned them inside, and once they entered the tent he dropped the flap. He strode ahead of them, his steps sure and confident, just like every single person she had encountered so far in relation to the Gleeful’s. There were two seats left open in the front row, towards the center. Pacifica sat down first. Gideon gave the man who walked them in a stern look before sitting down as well. He raised an eyebrow at the shorter white-haired boy before turning and walking to the side of the stage. Everyone had arrived, so the first part of his job was done. Now, it was time for the show. 

Pacifica didn’t get a solid chance to look around and take it all in before the entire tent went completely dark. Her hand instinctively reached for Gideon’s as she sucked in a surprised breath. “Hold your breath.” A male voice broke the tense silence that had settled over the tent. It sounded like it was right next to her ear, but she couldn’t see anything. Only darkness.

“Make a wish.” This time, it was a female voice, next to her other ear. It made her shiver and squeeze Gideon’s hand. 

“Count to three.” It sounded like both voices were speaking together, in front of her face now. She could almost swear she felt their breath on her face, moving loose strands of her hair… 

“Ladies and gentlemen.” A different male voice, further away, on stage. Blue lights illuminated the stage, casting the speaker in blue tones and dark shadow. It was an older man, from what she could tell. His hair was much greyer than the man from the front of the tent. He wore glasses as well. She couldn’t tell much detail from his outfit, it all looked blue because of the lights, but she did see a cape on him. It seemed to rival Mason’s in every aspect. It was larger, longer, and had thick fur lining the top. His hands reached up and fiddled with the front of the cape for a moment. “Welcome to the show.” He opened the cape up, holding it out behind him for a brief moment before dropping it, revealing two people who weren’t there before. Mason stood to his right, back facing the man, arms crossed and legs slightly apart, his stance radiating power. On the right of the mystery man was a girl who looked similar to Mason, but with long brown hair and no birthmark. She wore the shortest shorts Pacifica had ever seen, with fishnet leggings under them. Her high heels could kill a man. Her top was a blazer over a dark colored top, and the Tent of Telepathy star was on her neck, on a bow. She had a similar gem to Mason, but hers was on a headband and she was armed with a knife.

After another moment, the tension snapped like a rubber band and the tent was filled with applause. The lights changed slightly. It remained incredibly dim in the tent, but the lights were now white, meaning Pacifica could pick out more details. She figured it was a trick of the light, but she as certain there was something off about the older man’s eyes. She also noticed the girl wasn’t just standing there to be pretty. She was twirling the knife, a dangerous look in her eyes as a target was pulled on stage. “Many of you know us. I am Stanford Gleeful, and this is my nephew, Mason.” He motioned to Mason, who put on a charming smile that seemed slightly pained. “This is my niece, Mabel.” He motioned to the girl, who flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes at the audience. 

Pacifica was entranced by the start of the show, and she had faces to put to the names of the rest of the family. Her attention was drawn to who was with the target, a shorter man with very blue hair. He had an eyepatch over his left eye with a beautiful rose design stitched in. He had a black button up under a lighter blue vest, with black pants as well. He also had a cape, but it was much shorter than even Masons, and it was the same light blue as the vest. He seemed meek and shy, and did not get an introduction from Stanford. Once the target was set up, he moved to stand next to it, hands clasped behind his back. 

“I'll let them get on with the show, please enjoy.” Stanford snapped his fingers and Mason picked up the cape he had dropped, draping it over the older man. His eyes scanned the audience and Pacifica couldn't help shivering when he looked in her direction. He turned, his cape flying out behind him as he did so, and disappeared through the back curtain. Mason let out a long breath, tugging on black gloves. He walked towards the target, muttering to the shorter boy standing with it. After a moment, he was in front of the target, arms spread. Mabel stalked in front of him with a deadly smirk before backing up and placing her knife down on a table Pacifica hadn't noticed before. Mabel closed her eyes and the knife began to float- _Wait, what?_

This was no trick of the light, it was _floating._ She extended her arm and flicked her wrist and it flew at the target, narrowly missing the boy's arm. Pacifica blinked. Was she going crazy? No, she wasn't, she realized as another knife hovered in front of Mabel. With another careless flick of her wrist, it flew at the boy, this time narrowly missing his head. She appeared bored, like this was far too easy. Another knife floated up and she flicked her wrist again, but this time it didn't go to the target. It went the opposite direction and nearly hit Mason, who caught it nearly with his hand, blade facing him. 

“Nice try, sister dear.” He shook his head, and, with little warning, threw it at her. She held up a hand and it stopped, dropping to the floor. Scattered applause rippled through the audience. Pacifica was confused, but amazed nonetheless. “Enough parlor tricks. Would you like to see a real act?” Mason glanced at his sister, who nodded slightly. She glanced at the boy, who shakily moved from the target and disappeared behind the stage again. 

“How about a volunteer?” She asked cheerfully, a very dangerous glint in her eyes. She looked around the audience. Several people raised their hands, and Pacifica almost did, but Gideon wouldn't let go of her hand and gave her a warning look. “How… about…. you?” It took Pacifica a moment too long to realize Mabel was staring at her, her smile so sharp it could cut her. The boy from before appeared again, off the stage. He walked over to Pacifica, holding out a hand to her. 

“She picked you.” He said quietly. “B-but, um, if you don't want to, you can say no.” 

She blinked, standing up and taking his offered hand. “No, it's alright. I'd love to!” She said cheerfully. He offered a weak smile, taking her up on the stage. 

The lights were warm, not quite as blinding as she thought they would be. Up close, Mabel put her on edge. Mason seemed to be more confident, more powerful, and more mysterious on stage like this. There was a tall box on the stage now _(when did that get there? I keep missing things somehow)_ with several holes in it, through the front and the sides and back. The blue-haired boy went to the box and opened the door. “Our lovely volunteer will step into this box. Once it's closed, my brother and I will slide several very real, and very sharp, swords through the box, and yet… she will remain unharmed.” Mabel proclaimed. Pacifica felt a shot of fear go through her, but before she could even think about protesting, Mason had taken her elbow and steered her towards the box. She stepped inside and watched Gideon's face tense up with fear and worry before the front closed. 

“As you can see, these are very real and very sharp swords.” She heard Mabel say in front of the box. Mason hissed, a sound of pain. “Sorry, brother.” Her voice was quieter, like it wasn't meant for the audience to hear. She didn't sound very sorry either. 

“As my sister demonstrated, I’ve cut my hand on this sword. Sharp, and deadly.” Mason did not sound happy. 

“Will, darling, come here.” Mabel said. She heard shuffling. “This is poison. If the swords don't kill her, the poison will on them will. And yet, she will be completely unharmed!” The applauded sounded weaker, unsure. Pacifica felt herself starting to panic. She didn't want to be hurt, and she wasn't sure if she trusted them at all. She heard the sound of a sword being drawn and flinched when she heard it hit the box…. but no blade came near her. She heard the audience gasp and Mabel let out a giggle full of malice. Even though no blade hit her, her panic was starting to overwhelm her. After a few more moments of panic, she felt a calmness come over her mind. _Breathe. Breathe. You're safe. You won't be hurt. It's alright, there's no need to panic._ It felt like her own thoughts but at the same time… it didn't. 

More sounds of swords being pressed through the box and she still saw no blades, nor did she feel them. It was a very clever illusion, but she wasn't sure how they did it. Maybe they really did have magic. “All the swords are in place and… oh, dear. Brother, did we mess up?” Mabel’s voice was filled with mock pity. 

“Let her go! You let her go right now!” That’s Gideon’s voice! 

Mason chuckled. “If that's really want you want.” Suddenly the door opened and she stumbled out, the lights catching her off guard. The audience seemed appalled and afraid. Gideon looked afraid, but it was overshadowed with anger and- Were those tears? She was perfectly okay. She wasn't sure why everyone looked so afraid. “Thank you for participating.” Mason took her hand and kissed it gently, making her blush. She took that as her cue to leave the stage and left, hurrying to Gideon to hug him. 

“I'm okay, I'm alright. Why are you upset?” Pacifica asked. He sniffled, rubbing at his eyes. 

“I-it… they…. used magic or-or something, it looked like there was blood all over the floor and-! And I thought you-you were-” he hiccuped. 

“The blades didn't even go inside the box.” Her voice was filled with confusion. “I'm sorry Gideon. I'm sorry.” She hugged him again. 

“Can we go? Please?” He muttered against her shirt. She nodded slowly, glancing back at the stage once more. Mason was watching them, even as the show continued. She took Gideon's hand and together, they left the tent, heading back to the Mystery Shack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to give credit where credit is due, the amazing designs of Fiddleford and Stanford Gleeful are somewhat based on two incredible cosplayers on Instagram and friends of mine, Whiterosella and Ciphord respectively.


	5. Aftermath

Pacifica and Gideon successful snuck back in the Shack, even though it was very late. Neither really said much, except for exchanging goodnights. Gideon went to bed without changing, only kicking off his shoes. She felt bad for what he went through. Her eyes flickered to her backpack, abandoned on the floor. She picked it up, taking it with her to her bed. She turned out the lamp, fishing for a flashlight she had stored in the nightstand. Maybe there was something in the journal that could explain the things at the Gleeful show, or maybe they were simply dramatic illusionists. She wouldn’t know until she flipped through it. Just a few pages tonight….

She didn’t sleep until her flashlight flickered out a few hours later.

* * *

A couple days had passed since the show at the Gleeful’s. She hadn’t seen much of them in town the few times she had gone. She and Gideon didn’t talk about what happened either, beyond mumbled apologies to each other. They spent their days working in the Shack, staying under Bud’s radar. Luckily, he hadn’t found out about them attending the show at the Tent of Telepathy. Robbie knew, but he could keep a secret. Pacifica sighed heavily as she glanced out the window, watching the latest group of tourists leave. It was almost time for them to close, which she was thankful for. She decided she and Gideon had moped around enough. It was high time for another adventure. “Pacifica!” She flinched at the harsh tone of her uncle. “Finish up sweeping, I’ve got something for you to do in town.” 

“Alright, Uncle Bud.” She sighed, sweeping the dust into a dustpan. She picked it up and walked over to the trashcan in the corner to dump it. The bell over the door rang and she glanced up, seeing a new face. Well, somewhat new. She had seen this face in pictures that Robbie had shown, but she had yet to meet her in person. 

“Wendy!” Robbie’s face lit up, coming around the counter to give her a hug. Wendy gave him a halfhearted hug back, shoving her hands into the pocket of her dark hoodie. It had a red heart with stitches going through the middle. Her ears were pierced multiple times, but she wouldn’t have noticed if Robbie hadn’t mentioned it before as her long red hair covered her ears, and often part of her face. 

“Hey. Came to see if you were up to anything interesting.” She muttered, glancing at Pacifica, who was still off to the side. “Who’re you?”

“You remember me talking about Gideon’s cousin coming to town, right? Well, this is Pacifica.” Robbie explained, motioning to her with a small smile. “She’s pretty cool.” That got an eyebrow raise out of Wendy. “Anyways, we’re about to close up, if you feel like waiting around for a bit?”

She shrugged, leaning on the counter with a quiet “Whatever.” 

“Pacifica. Are you done?” Bud asked, appearing out of nowhere. 

“Yeah.” She nodded. “What do you need me to do?” 

“Take these flyers and put them up in town. Gonna hold a small sale, hopefully draw in more people. Take Gideon with you, he’s been useless around the Shack today, and he can drive the golf cart.” He shoved a stack of flyers in her direction. She nearly dropped them. 

“Alright.” She muttered, scowling at his retreating back. “It was nice to meet you Wendy.” Pacifica nodded at the redhead before running off to find Gideon. 

Gideon was upstairs, at his desk, flipping through a book. He looked up when Pacifica came in, closing the book. “Oh. Hey. Dad sent me up here to get something… I was taking my time getting back to him.” He sounded down. _Yeah. It’s time for an adventure._

“Uncle Bud asked me to put these up in town. He told me to take you with me, and have you drive the golf cart. C’mon, gettin’ out will do ya some good.” She grabbed her trusty backpack, making sure the Journal was inside. There was no harm in checking out another creature marked in the pages while they were out, right? Gideon seemed reluctant to get up. She walked over, picking up his hat off the ground and putting it on his head. “C’mooooon. Please come with me?” He sighed heavily. 

“Alright.” He seemed so downtrodden. He had been in this funky mood since the show, and it seemed to only grow worse as time went on. She wanted to help but she wasn’t sure how. Her two solutions were talking or doing something, and he didn’t want to talk about it. Doing something would have to do until she figured out exactly what he needed. He stood up and she looped her arm with his, walking down the stairs with him. He grabbed the golf cart key off the hook on the wall by the door as they left. Pacifica bounced towards the golf cart, sliding in easily. Gideon got behind the wheel, starting it up and pulling out of the Mystery Shack. 

They went down the roads to town. There were few cars on the roads, most people walked everywhere. Gideon would stop the cart ever so often, giving her a chance to put up the flyers on buildings and light posts. After all the flyers had been put up, she fished out the journal. “Lets go do something.” 

“Pacifica, not today, alright? I don't-”

“Gideon. Please. You've been moping for a couple days. You gotta snap out of this funk! So let's do something!” She wiggles the book in front of him with a grin. She didn't expect him to smack it out of her hands. 

“Not today. Seriously.” He gave her a tired look. _Maybe… he doesn't need an adventure. That's what works for me. Maybe he needs something else._ “Let's just go back.” He pulled back into the main road, heading towards the Shack again. She sighed, picking up the Journal from the floor of the golf cart where it had fallen. When they got back, he left the cart with hardly a word. She sat there for a moment, thinking, before she followed him inside. She went straight up the stairs and to their shared room. He was back at his desk. She pulled up a spare chair next to him and leaned over, pulling him into a hug. “What are you-”

“You need… something, and I don't know what it is cause I don't know you super well yet but I'd like to and I want to help you out and maybe you just need a person right now and-” she stopped. Rambling again. “I'm here for you. Okay?” She whispered, starting to pull back when he put a hand on her arm to stop her. 

“I'm sorry.” His voice was quiet, almost choked up. “The show… really messed with my mind, and dad…” he shook his head. She was starting to see how bad Bud Pines really was, so he didn't need to say more. “It's… I don’t…” 

“Lets go on a walk when it's dark outside. It's quiet and peaceful, and we can be away from here.” She remembered him saying similar things about enjoying the night the other day. Maybe this would help him. He nodded with a small sniffle, like he was close to tears with everything he had been bottling up. She stayed there with him, just sitting with him. It may not be what she would want in his shoes, but it's what he wanted and needed. 

* * *

Mason stood, arms crossed, staring down his great uncle in his private study upstairs. It was the day after the show Gideon and Pacifica had attended. Stanford had decided to let it go the night before, as it was late and everyone was tired and stressed, but now Mason had to face the music. Stanford watched him coolly, harsh, mismatched eyes meeting his own brilliantly blue ones. Mason didn’t want to be the one to break first. Stanford had patience, though his temper could be seen just under the surface. “The Pines child and his… Cousin, yes?” Stanford finally said. 

“Yes.” Mason said shortly. Stanford raised an eyebrow. “Yes, _sir_.” 

“Without asking, you invited two young people to our late-night show.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “Did they pay?”

Ah. Right. I knew I forgot something. “Not this time.” He said. This wouldn’t be the last show those two attended, he was sure of it. Stanford’s gaze hardened at Mason’s tone and choice of words. 

“‘This time’, hm?” He chuckled, but it was without humor. Mason refused to show any weakness, any fear. Seventeen years under his thumb, he had learned a few tricks. Even so, he still felt a little fear when his great uncle was angry like this. This was by far one of the smallest transgression he had ever committed, but even so… Anything that was against his rules was punished, without question, without fail. “So. Two young people, to our late-night show, which is not meant for young people, and they didn't pay.” He stood now, coming around the desk to stand in front of Mason. His cold stare bore into his nephew. Mason swallowed hard, not daring to look away. 

“I had good rea-” Mason started to say, but he was interrupted by Stanford’s hand hitting him across the face. A loud smack echoed in the study, and into the silent hallway. He stared at the ground, his cheek burning. It felt like the rings Stanford wore had also cut his cheek. 

“Good reason? Do tell.” He took hold of Mason’s chin, forcing him to look up at him. His eyes were angry. 

“They have Journal three.” Mason growled out. Stanford’s eyebrow furrowed for a moment before his eyes widened. _Hah. I knew something before you._ “We should keep a tighter leash on him.” He added vaguely, but Stanford knew who he meant. He let go of Mason’s face, the anger in his eyes growing. 

“Stay out of my sight today.” Stanford snapped, eyes flashing dangerously. He shoved his nephew hard as he moved past him, knocking him into the wall and nearly to the floor. He stalked out the door of the study. Mason listened as Stanford’s footsteps went down the stairs. He smirked. _Better you than me, Will._

He pushed himself up on his feet, touching his cheek softly. He winced-shallow cuts from those damn rings were on his face. He left the study, heading for his sisters room. 

“Whatcha think of this new-” Mabel stopped mid sentence when she turned around to see her brother, disheveled, with a red cheek and shallow cuts. One was bleeding a little. She sighed heavily. They may not get along at all, but they were really all they had. “C’mere.”

He walked over, not saying a word. There was a storm behind his blue eyes, and most of it was an angry storm. A touch of fear hid in there as well. “He got you good this time. You’re lucky it was just a slap.” She muttered, fishing around in a drawer. She pushed him gently to sit on her bed. Raising a hand, a blue glow covered her hand and his cheek. He winced, but the magic did its job. It healed the small injury, stopping the bleeding and making the sting lessen. She took the bandage she had gotten out and covered the deeper cut that wasn’t completely healed with the small amount of magic. 

“I think one of us needs to go to the Mystery Shack.” Mason said finally. “Ford is mad, not just because of who it was and the fact that they didn't pay. He's mad because the late night show isn't for younger people.”

Mabel scoffed. “We’re only a year older than them.” Mason stared at her. “Gideon did seem sort of traumatized. What do you want us to do about it? Apologize?” She seemed rather appalled by the idea.

“We need to lessen their suspicions, and cover our tracks. We also need to make small amends so Ford gets off our backs, for now.” Mason explained. He sounded tired. Having so much anger and living in this manor would do that to a person. 

“You're right.” Mabel made a face. She hated to admit he was right about anything, ever. “We should. Not today, though.” 

He nodded. “Not today. Soon.” She took his hand, surprising him, and squeezed it reassuringly. 

“Now!” She jumped up. “I was going to show off a few things I wanted to add to my show outfit.” She grinned. He knew what she was doing. She was distracting him, keeping him from their great uncle, and trying to make things better. They might fight constantly, but at least they had each other's back. 

“Show me what you've got.” He said with a tiny smile.


End file.
